What is the instinct test?
A short evaluation. The dog is brought, safely, close to a few animals to see whether it starts trying to move them. It's usually the first step before any training.
Herding and livestock
Herding Trials
Herding trials is the catch-all name for events where the dog moves livestock. There are several styles, several kinds of animal, and levels running from an instinct test up to advanced classes.
About the discipline
What Herding Trials are
Herding trials go beyond the classic British style. In the continental style, the dog guards a boundary and keeps the flock inside it. Farm-style trials throw in obstacles taken from everyday farm work.
Dogs work sheep, but also ducks or cattle, depending on the format and the dog's size. The first level is a simple instinct test; by the advanced classes the courses get complicated.
Because the term is so broad, rulebooks vary a lot between organisations. Ask exactly which format the club you go to runs before you start preparing.
How it works in practice
What a trial may contain
- an instinct test comes first
- the dog gathers the flock and moves it
- driving them through gates or obstacles
- holding the flock inside a marked area
- splitting individual animals off from the group
- penning them or loading them for transport
Which dogs it suits
- herding breeds of every kind
- dogs whose herding instinct has been confirmed at a test
- teams with access to livestock
What you need
- access to livestock and ground
- minimal kit: a crook and maybe a whistle
- an experienced instructor to guide you
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Herding Trials
Is it only done with sheep?
No. Depending on the format and the dog's size, ducks get used too, which suit small breeds, or cattle in the specialist classes.
My breed is not a herding breed. Any chance?
Instinct tests often welcome other breeds. The competition classes, though, are naturally dominated by breeds selected for this work over centuries.
How long before a dog works independently?
Years. You see the instinct quickly, but distance control, stopping when the dog is under pressure and working the right side of the flock take hundreds of hours with real livestock. Most teams spend the whole first year on groundwork alone before they run a full course.
The rule figures on this page come from FCI - Rules for International Herding Trials, Traditional Style. Rules change and federations differ - always check the rulebook of the competition you are entering.
From the same category
Related sports
Cattle Dog Trials
The dog drives cattle, animals weighing hundreds of kilos.
Duck Herding
The dog steers a small group of ducks through obstacles.
Sheepdog Trials
The dog drives sheep round a set course, directed by whistle.
We do not run Herding Trials
This page is informational. We work in mantrailing, search and rescue and preparation for the TSAC and BH exams - but if you want an honest opinion on what would suit your dog, write to us anytime.